City offices will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving.
City Council
Finance will meet on Monday to hold a Tax Classification Hearing. See Tax Classification Packet.
City Council will meet on Monday and is expected to continue its discussion of the Village Center Overlay District zoning proposal and vote on the following (see Report Docket):
- Request to withdraw a request to amend a previously approved special permit to allow a medical marijuana treatment center (formerly known as Registered Marijuana Dispensary or “RMD”) at 1089 Washington Street
- Request to extend the nonconforming use at 27-29 Kilburn Road
- Request to extend the nonconforming front setback and lot coverage at 62 Maple Street
- Request to legalize paving at the rear of the property, resulting in a reduction in the site’s open space at 35- 37 William Street
- Request to legitimize the current uses on site, to allow for proposed for-profit and non-profit educational tenants, to allow for farm-share distribution use, and to waive required parking stalls at 297 Lowell Avenue
- Denial of a request to rezone lots on Charles Street
- No Action Necessary on a discussion item regarding creating an ordinance requiring electrification of all new construction and substantial renovations
- Appointment of Andria Tieman Michney as a Newton Library Trustee
- Request to transfer $446,104.67 from June 30, 2023 Certified Free Cash to Health & Human Services Department mitigating the effects of the opioid crisis (see Fig City News article)
- Amended request to transfer $130,000 to Clinical Health-Temp Staffing to address a few school nurse vacancies with agency nurses (amendments made regarding accounts to transfer from)
- Discussion and Possible Creation of Ordinance Regarding Vibration Control Measures
- Reappointment of Nancy Kritzman to the Commission on Disability
- Denial of a request to shorten the duration of the winter parking ban
- Amended request for water main extensions in Washington Street – Dunstan East (item was amended by including the granting of a water easement)
- Request(by Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) for a grant of location in Commonwealth Avenue, Grafton Street, Centre Street, Ward Street and Waverly Avenue
- Request to appropriate $3,000 from Handicapped Parking Fines-Disability Commission Receipts Reserved to conduct the 2023 Holiday Targeted Enforcement of the accessible parking violations, “Operation Access,”,to cover overtime pay for the Newton Police Department from November
- Acceptance of $68,000 grant from MassDEP to aid waste diversion efforts
- Request to approve the CPC Recommendation to appropriate $1,967,119 in CPA funding to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust
- Request to Appropriate $612,134.74 for the full and final settlement of Anastasia et al. v. City of Newton
New Docket includes the following:
- Request for Extension of Time to Exercise Special Permit #358-22 at 1314 Washington Street, and 31, 33 Davis Street
- Request to further extend nonconforming FAR at 286 Highland Avenue
- Request to further extend a nonconforming 3.5 story single-family dwelling at 255 Jackson Street
- Request to further extend a nonconforming 3-story single-family dwelling at 146 Oliver Road
- Discussion regarding leash and off leash ordinance
- Discussion and possible creation of a wilderness protocol
- Discussion regarding Recreation Use Statute
- Request for Amendment to Chapter 21, Art III Trees to extend tree protection and update permits
- Requesting a discussion with the Administration about overnight on-street parking during the winter parking ban for people with disability placards
- Appointment of Philip Hanser to the Citizens Commission on Energy
- Acceptance of $190,000 from MassDOT’s Community Transit Grant Program FY24
- Appropriate $3,000,000 for dredging of the City Hall Ponds
- Request for Amendment to Chapter 21, Art III Trees to extend tree protection and update permits*
- Request for Review and Amendments to Chapter 21, Art. III, Division 3*
- Requesting to appropriate and expend for the Newton Center for Active Living Project (NewCAL) – (Bids will be opened on December 7)
- Petition to rezone lot on Dedham Street (known as 0 Dedham Street)
- Request to Establish and Appropriate funds to a Debt Service Stabilization Fund
- Appropriate $15,000 for Elections Postage in City Clerk’s Office
*These items are currently before the Council but have been docketed because the Committee’s version is removing the $50 increase in fees so the Clerk has determined it does not need to go to Finance.
Land Use will meet on Tuesday:
- Consistency ruling to allow roof reconfiguration modifications at 73-75 Ripley Street
- Two-story addition exceeding maximum FAR at 538 Ward Street
- Vehicle Sales at 32 Needham Street
- Change configuration of buildings and paved areas and waive parking and screen at 283 Melrose Street – Turtle Lane
- Convert non-conforming two-family into a single-family and convert accessory building into a separate single-family at 373 Lexington Street
Programs and Services, Public Facilities, Public Safety and Transportation meetings canceled (see Cancellation Notice).
School Committee
School Committee will meet twice on Monday:
- Leadership Caucus to elect a Chair and Vice-Chair
- Regularly scheduled meeting
School Committee will meet on Tuesday in Executive Session to discuss strategy related to collective bargaining with the NTA Units A-E.
Boards and Commissions
Newton Parks and Recreation Commission will meet on Monday:
- Cold Spring Park – Little Seed Library Proposal
- Commissioner’s Report
- Committee Reports: Community Preservation Committee, Urban Tree Commission, Farm Commission, and Off-Leash Area Working Group
Board of License Commissioners will meet von Tuesday:
- Two requests for One-Day Entertainment Licenses:
- New Year Celebration, December 15 at the Newton War Memorial
- Holiday party, December 11 at Buttonwood, 51 Lincoln Street
- 4 requests for One-Day Temporary Wine and Malt Licenses:
- Dinner and cocktails on December 1 at the Church of the Redeemer, 379 Hammond Street
- Company banquet on December 5 with a rain date December 6 at the Kendall Kitchen @ Riverside, 275 Grove Street
- Williams Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization event on December 2 with a rain date of Sunday, December 3 at the Kendall Kitchen @ Riverside, 275 Grove Street
- Exhibition opening reception on December 7 at the New Art Corridor, 245 Walnut Street
- Request for a One-Day Temporary Wine and Malt and Entertainment Licenses for a comedy show on Thursday, December 9 at the New Art Center, 61 Washington Park
- Request for Change of Hours at Mr. Ks Wine and Spirits, 980 Boylston Street
- Change of Stock Interest and Change of Officers/Directors/LLC/Managers and Change of On-Site Manager – as requested by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to be exercised at Auburndale Market, 345 Auburn Street, Auburndale
- Request for a New Wine and Malt Restaurant License to be exercised at Stella, 549 Commonwealth Avenue
Election Commission’s scheduled meeting for Tuesday, November 21 has been canceled. See Fig City News article.
Other
The Newton Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT) has approved funding for two projects. In this letter to the Council, the NAHT announced that it has awarded $500,000 to Family Aid to assist with the conversion of a former nursing home at 815 Washington Street into 42 units of family transitional housing, known as the West Newton Family Navigation Center, It has also awarded $1.5 Million to 2Life Communities for Coleman House, a senior housing preservation project renovating 144 units of deeply affordable senior housing, to support a number of atypical and conditions that were encountered during construction.
This week’s road construction schedule.